


Our First New Year's Eve

by burblyboy, RedBeautyFTW



Series: A Series of Firsts [2]
Category: Teenage Bounty Hunters (TV), stepril
Genre: Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Girls Kissing, New Year's Eve, New Year's Fluff, New Year's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 08:20:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28468164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burblyboy/pseuds/burblyboy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedBeautyFTW/pseuds/RedBeautyFTW
Summary: April and Sterling plan for the perfect NYE since April's mother will be spending NYE out of town...That is until Sterling comes down with the flu...
Relationships: April Stevens & Sterling Wesley, April Stevens/Sterling Wesley
Series: A Series of Firsts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2085270
Comments: 8
Kudos: 63





	Our First New Year's Eve

April laid back on the couch as she waited for Sterling to answer her FaceTime call. Sterling was normally so quick it surprised her when she’d reached the third ring and still no sign of her girlfriend’s beautiful face. Sterling hadn’t said anything about prior commitments. And Sterling would even answer when she was in the bathroom. Granted, the camera would be pointed toward the shower until she was decent, but she answered. 

She could feel the concern build in her stomach. It soon faded when the ringing stopped revealing Sterling’s half smiling face. April studied her for a moment, noticing the puffiness around her eyes and the slight squint that accompanied it. The concern returned. Sterling was pressed up against a mountain of pillows and, as exceedingly rare as it was for April to say, she looked awful. 

“Sterl, what’s wrong?” 

“Huh? Oh!” Sterling blew a raspberry as she waved her free hand. “I just have a really bad headache. It’s nothing. I took something so I’ll be fine in a bit.” 

April’s eyes danced around the screen taking in all of Sterling’s features. “Are you sure? I don’t mean this to be rude but… you look awful.” 

Sterling released a quiet chuckle followed by a small ‘ow’ as she raised her hand to her temple. “Hopefully, these meds kick in. But enough about my head.” She adjusted against her pillows and put on her best smile. “How are you? I feel like we haven’t talked all day.” 

April regarded her for a moment, still unsure if Sterling was downplaying what was wrong with her. Her girlfriend looked miserable and all she wanted to do was help her feel better. She pushed her worry to the back of her mind, for now, knowing harping on how ill Sterling looked was not going to make her headache go away any faster. 

“We’ve been texting since we woke up,” April noted, flashing a soft smile. 

“It’s not the same as actually seeing your face though.” 

April bit back a shy smile feeling the tips of her ears heat up from the oncoming blush. Leave it to Sterling to still know the right thing to say even when her head was probably drumming like a marching band. She cleared her throat trying once again not to focus on her growing worry for her girlfriend. 

“I… have some news,” April said, reaching forward to grab a throw pillow. She placed it behind her back and cuddled into the cushion. “About New Year’s Eve.” 

“Oh, tell me,” Sterling responded, a twinge of excitement in her tone. 

“Well, my mom is going to my Aunt’s to celebrate.” April shyly bit down on the corner of her lips. “So, I was thinking… maybe we could hang here, and you could spend the night-“ 

“Yes!” Sterling interrupted, eagerly. She cleared her throat and scrunched her brow as she attempted to appear more casual. “I mean, yeah, th-that would be cool.” 

April chuckled and shook her head. “Very smooth, hun.” 

“Oh, you know what we could do? We could totally-“ 

The screen blurred suddenly, and Sterling’s face disappeared from view. A loud noise, sounding awfully like a painful sneeze, echoed through the tiny speaker. The sound of Sterling’s groaning soon followed, and all of the worry April pushed aside rushed to the surface. She scrambled to sit up, clutching her phone in both of her hands as she waited for her girlfriend to reappear. 

“Sterling? Sterling, what just happened?” 

“Nothing. I’m fine,” Sterling responded, still off camera. 

“Sterling, you do not sound fine.” 

“It’s probably just allergi-“ Another sneeze echoed through the phone followed by another groan. 

Concern washed over April’s features as she anxiously tapped her short nails against the back of her phone. “Honey, please put the camera back on you.” 

There was a slight wobble as Sterling shifted bringing the focus back onto herself. April pouted immediately at the sight of her girlfriend. Sterling’s eyes had somehow gotten puffier and there was a redness surrounding the now dullish blue of her eyes. Her nose was red, and she was struggling to breathe suddenly. Everything went downhill so quickly and Sterling looked as if she was riding front row the whole time. 

“Oh no, honey. You are not okay.” April stood from the couch making sure to hold her phone as steady as possible while she walked toward the stairs. “I’m taking you upstairs with me so I can check your symptoms online.” 

Sterling released a water chuckle. “Babe, you know WebMD is going to make you think this is worse than it actually is.” She sniffled as she snuggled into her pillows. “I’ll just take some allergy medicine once the headache goes away.” 

“This is not allergies,” April said, firmly as she carefully walked up the stairs. She didn’t want to cause too much movement on the screen. Making Sterling nauseous along with everything else was not her plan. “And you should know that WebMD isn’t my only resource.” She tossed her girlfriend a playfully side eyed glare. Her expression turned serious as she carefully hopped over the final step. “I think you might be coming down with a really bad cold.” 

“No, no way.” Sterling shook her head then closed her eyes tightly and groaned. She brought her hand to her head and pressed her palm against her temple. “It’s like two days from New Year’s Eve… I can’t be sick.” 

“I don’t think that matters, Sterl.” April stepped into her bedroom and walked over to her desk, taking a seat. She placed her phone on the stand and opened the device. “Okay…” 

As she waited for the computer to boot up, she shifted her head to the side, using her free hand to brush her hair over her shoulder. She prepared herself mentally going through the list of sites she could check. The sound of Sterling’s soft whine pulled her attention from the computer and she instantly met Sterling’s pouty face. 

A confused, yet concerned, expression crossed her features. “What’s wrong?” April asked, mirroring her girlfriend’s expression. 

“Your neck,” Sterling whined, weakly circling her finger near the screen. “It’s so far away.” 

April smiled, a small blush tinting her cheeks as she shook her head. “So smooth, Sterl.” 

Sterling flashed a proud, closed mouth smile. “I’ve moved from ridiculous to smooth? Wow, this really has been my year.” She moved away from the screen suddenly and sneezed once again. 

The sound brought April back to her original task. “Okay, we’ll discuss your upgrade later.” She shifted from side to side, resting her hands on the keyboard. “Tell me your symptoms.” 

Her head tilted to the left again, flexing her neck in a way Sterling could never resist. Sterling whined again noticing how April pressed her teeth into her bottom lip trying to suppress her mischievous grin. 

“You shouldn’t tease me. I’m sick. It’s not fair.” 

April glanced at her from the corner of her eye. “Oh, now you’ll admit you’re sick?” 

“If it makes you feel a little guilty for teasing me, yes.” Sterling chuckled quietly. “But, honestly, I’m not sick.” Her brow knitted together determined to fight whatever was happening to her. "I refuse to be sick. I'm going to get to kiss my love at the stroke of midnight" 

“You can't debate a virus, Sterling. They do not listen to reason. " April sighed, stilling her hands on the keyboard as she met her girlfriend’s eyes. "I want to kiss you on New Year’s Eve too, honey. So, if that's going to happen, please tell me your symptoms so we can figure out what’s going on with you and fix it before it gets worse." 

Sterling offered a weak nod then cleared her throat. “Um, I have a really bad headache-“ 

“Migraine level?” 

“If there’s something above migraine level, it’s that one.” 

“Back to being ridiculous.” April released a small laugh as she typed. “What else?” 

“The sneezing is new. And I got kinda dizzy the last time I did it.” 

“Kinda?” 

“Yeah, like, my head was a little spinny. Also, my chest feels really weird all of a sudden… when I breathe in.” Sterling made a dismissive noise and waved her hand. “But, seriously, I’m fine. I’m sure this won’t last more than a few hours.” 

April hummed as she continued to type. When the results popped up, she exhaled heavily and leaned back in her chair. It was exactly what she feared was wrong. “Sterl, according to my research, you’ve got the flu.” 

Sterling waved her hand sternly. “Nope. No way. I refuse to have the flu.” 

“Honey, like I said I before, this isn’t debatable.” April gave her a sympathetic frown as she returned to her typing. “I’m going to Postmates you some medicine.” 

Sterling scrambled to sit up against her mound of pillows. “No, babe, that’s not necessary. I-“ Her words stalled as she closed her eyes and laid back down pushing herself into the cushions. She brought her free hand up and rested it on her forehead. “Okay, just make sure whatever you get doesn’t taste gross.” 

“I won’t get you anything gross,” April promised, lovingly. 

She turned away from her computer and picked up her phone bringing it closer. As much as Sterling tried to deny how sick she was, her face told the actual story. Her eyes looked like they were about to close. There was a flush on her cheeks that April was fairly certain wasn’t her fault and she could see her struggling to stop another sneeze threatening to escape. 

“You need to rest,” April told her. 

“Then I’d have to hang up,” Sterling argued, halfheartedly. “And with our New Year’s plans slowly falling into the trash-“ 

“Don’t say that,” April interrupted, shifting in her seat. “You rest and I’ll take care of everything else.” She flashed a reassuring smile. “Our New Year’s Eve kiss is not in jeopardy.” 

Sterling held her gaze for a long moment. “Okay,” she breathed, relenting. “I’ll nap for like an hour though.” 

“Take as long as you need.” April blew her a kiss. “I love you. Get some sleep.” 

“Love you,” Sterling returned as she blew her a kiss back and reluctantly ended the call. 

April placed her phone down with a heavy sigh as she chewed pensively on the inside of her bottom lip. She went back to her laptop searching for different medications to send to her girlfriend. She filled her cart with every type of medication possible trying to distract herself from the sinking feeling that their first New Year celebration together was about to be put on hold. 

She picked up her phone and slid her thumb across the screen. She scrolled through her contacts swiping across Ezequiel’s name then brought the phone to her ear. 

“Hey girl, what’s up?” 

“Sterling’s sick. We might have to put those things I asked you to get on hold.” 

“What?! No! Does that mean you’re going to be alone on New Year’s?” 

April leaned back in her chair and sighed. “I hope not.”

* * *

Early the morning, the day before New Year’s Eve, Blair covered her head with a pillow and prayed today would see an improvement, but judging from the scattered coughs, sneezes and insane whining coming from Sterling’s room, they were in for a doozy of a day. Still in bed, she’d been woken up far too early after falling asleep far too late, and it was all Sterling’s fault. Not that she was entirely unsympathetic, but even her twin couldn’t be allowed to get away with everything under the guise of sickness. 

Being ordered around like a servant girl was definitely where Blair drew the line, where her patience ended, the very edge of her twin-mandated limits… and Sterling had gotten perilously close to testing them last night. She sighed and considered cranking the music to drown out whatever body part of Sterling’s that was busy expelling mucus right now, but she knew it wouldn’t take long before their mom would knock on her door and request, very nicely, that she turn it down so Sterling could get some rest. 

Sterling, Sterling, Sterling. Always Sterling. Just because she was sick. Just because she had plans for New Year’s Eve. Plans that sounded amazing, but required a cute, tiny lesbian girlfriend to pull off. Or at least a partner. Blair had… neither.

At least she had her health. As long as Blair managed to stay the hell away from Sterling, her mucus, and whatever else was swimming around in the toxic cloud that passed for air inside her room. She glanced over at the door to the connecting bathroom. It was closed, had been closed and would remain closed. Maybe she should jam a towel in the crack to make sure.

“BLAIR! COULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME!”

So much for maintaining a safe and healthy distance. Blair exhaled violently and wondered if Sterling would call for mom if she ignored her long enough.

“BLAIR! SIS?”

Another deep breath and Blair was moving. This definitely fell within twin-mandated limits and as much part of her wanted to tell Sterling to shut up and deal with whatever the problem was by herself, she’d end up hating herself sooner rather than later if she actually ignored her twin.

“I’m here, Sterl. What’s the matter?” she said as she opened the door that made up the last defensive barricade and stepped into Sterling’s room.

Sterling pointed to her phone, face down on top of the covers she was cowering underneath.. “Blair, please, it’s April. I don’t want her to see me like this. And I definitely don’t want to have a coughing fit mid-call and have her scarred for life when I have to wipe the screen clean of phlegm. Pleasepleaseplease.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Blair picked up the phone and was greeted by April’s alarmed and concerned face.

“Blair?! Where’s Sterling? Is she okay? Tell me right this—”

“Chill, Stevens, she’s, well, she’s not fine because she’s still sick. She’s just momentarily indisposed and didn’t want to keep you on hold. So you got me. I think you made out pretty well, if you ask me.”

“I want to talk to Sterling. I need to see—”

“Trust me, you don’t need to see this mess. It’s like DEFCON 3 here, snot missiles flying all over the place, phlegm bombs dropping…”

“Phlegm? Like, when she’s coughing? I have to make a note of that, it’s new since yesterday.”

“Yes, but…” Blair gave up on getting April’s attention, knowing it was fruitless to even try right now..

“I knew I should’ve added an expectorant to the basket before finalizing. Just because it wasn’t presenting yesterday, I should’ve been proactive and expected—”

“April, calm down, take a deep breath or fifty. Just look at all the stuff you got for Sterling.” Blair panned over Sterling’s bed and adjacent furnishings, all littered with bottles and pill packs representing the miracles of modern medicine. She chuckled when her sister shielded herself with the comforter, ducking beneath it to hide, as if April would care one bit less that Sterling’s hair was tangled and nose stuffy. She felt a twinge of jealousy. It was infuriating how lovingly April tended to _her_ sister.

“It’s probably too late for the oscillococcinum and zinc, but I might have a travel bottle of Altarussin in my bag. I can drop it off at some point.”

“You do that, Stevens. Whatever helps you sleep at night. God knows we’re all lacking in that department right now, and it’s all Sterling’s fa—”

“That’s not fair, sis,” came Sterling’s weak complaint, muffled by the comforter as it was, before Sterling poked her head back up. “I didn’t choose to get sick. Why would I willingly ruin my plans?”

Blair dropped her arms along her sides, sighing deeply, trying to figure out a way to tell Sterling that she didn’t blame her, but it _definitely_ was her fault.

“Blair? Blair! I’m still here, and looking at Sterling’s floor is not the way I want to spend my time. I’d much rather you point the phone at Sterling so I can finally see _her_.”

“You two deserve each other,” Blair groaned as she raised the phone back up and touched the button to switch cameras. “Enjoy this vision of grace and beauty, Stevens. Don’t let the snot bubble fool you, she really is all that.”

“I agree, Blair, she is, and then some.”

“God. Barf.” Blair tossed the phone to an unprepared Sterling and it tumbled across the bed before stopping just shy of dropping onto the floor.

“Babe! Babe? Are you okay? I hope you didn’t—”

“Sterl, you’re being ridiculous again,” April laughed from somewhere among the many dips and valleys of the comforter. “I’m not actually _inside_ your phone.”

“No, I know, I just meant… I don’t know what I meant.” Sterling looked sullen. “I just wish I wasn’t sick. I wish I was with you. I wish we still had New Year’s Eve to look forward to. I wanted to kiss you at the stroke of midnight.”

“I know, honey, I still wish for that. Miracles do happen. But if it doesn’t, we’ll have another shot next year.”

Sterling finally found her phone and held it up to her face so April could see her disappointed pout. “But that’s a _full year_ away. I don’t know if I can wait that long.”

“You know you kiss Little Miss Perfect practically every time you’re together, right?. It’s a wonder her lips aren’t permanently chafed,” Blair butted in, still standing next to Sterling’s bed, in awe of how quickly Sterling’s mood changed when April was around, even when only a face on a screen. “Maybe they are, but we just can’t see it…”

“Blair! Oh my god, that’s just—” Sterling 

“Inappropriate. She knows she’s being inappropriate,” April said calmly. “Don’t give her the satisfaction, honey. Just… focus on my voice and ignore the demon.”

“Fine. Whatever.” Blair flipped April off just on principle, despite knowing she would only have eyes for Sterling right now. And that the camera wasn’t even facing her. “I have stuff to take care of myself.”

* * *

“I don’t know about you, Han, but two SOS:es in two days is two too many,” Ezequiel said as he sat down next to Blair in the booth, ignoring her glare. “Am I correct in assuming this is about our favourite couple and the plight they currently find themselves in?”

“Of course it is,” Blair bridled, still annoyed at Ezequiel for crowding her space. “Sterling’s being insufferable, and it’s only the second day.”

“Isn’t that the problem though?” Hannah said. “New Year’s Eve is tomorrow and their plans—”

“Don’t you start too.” Blair bit off. “I’ve heard all about their plans and how it was going to be wonderful and now it’s all—”

“Going to hell—” Ezequiel continued.

“In a handbasket?” Hannah finished

The eye-roll of Blair’s would’ve made Ezequiel proud had he been positioned to see it. “Stop—” she glared at Hannah who definitely was positioned to see it “—doingthatitsreallyannoying.”

“Someone took a double dose of cranky pills this morning.”

Blair sighed. “No pills needed. April called first thing, before I even had a chance to grind the beans—that’s not an euphemism, _Zeke_ —and Sterling was indisposed, busy being a snotty, blubbery, whiny mess as opposed to her usual kind of mess.”

Ezequiel quirked a brow and snickered. They all knew what Blair was talking about.

She went on: “So I got an earful. It was… God, it was infuriating. Even when April is being sweet and caring and concerned, she manages to be infuriating.”

“Our girl is intense. Makes sense that her caring would be infuriating... to you.”

Blair crossed her arms. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Girl, please. What did we talk about when you kid—” Ezequiel stopped and smiled, trying to mollifying the fuming Evil Twin, who he foolishly sat down next to, not considering how that opened him up to the Wesley check, or worse “—when we last sat down for coffee and some friendly conversation?”

Blair, still fuming, grumbled. “Something about something.” She deflated, slumping across the table, putting her forehead on her arms, still crossed but now resting on the table. “Everything about this sucks. Sterling _is_ being annoying, and I just wish I could do something about it. Not to shut her up. But this isn’t a problem solved by reasoning or offering a sympathetic ear and making the right noises. So I can’t! Like, my heart aches when I see her feeling bad like this. Barf.”

“Aww, sweetie, I know you want to help.” Hannah placed a hand on Blair’s shoulder, and patted it cautiously. “April’s been hounding us, trying to see if we have some secret remedies passed down from generation to generation.”

“I told her Tylenol Nighttime is the bomb,” Ezequiel said.

Hannah chuckled at him. “She did not respond well to that suggestion.”

“It was what my mother gave me, so it counts. I’m one generation and she passed the pills to me.”

“I think April was looking for something that you can’t buy over-the-counter at the nearest Walgreens,” Hannah suggested. “You know, like, something foul-tasting and probably alcoholic that your grandmother’s grandmother swore by back in the old country.”

“She should just dip a towel in scotch and have Sterling suckle on that like the baby she’s acting like.”

“Bitey Blair,” Ezequiel laughed, clearly enjoying this. “I thought we’d lost you to the softness.”

“Yeah, well, I’m back, baby,” Blair said, but she remained slumped on the table, not enjoying the bitchiness nearly as much as Ezequiel. “Do you guys have any ideas of how we can help?”

“Help? I thought you just needed to vent and you know, for us to offer a sympathetic ear while making the right noises,” Ezequiel poked the demon, but it remained dormant.

“What do you want to do, Blair?” Hannah asked, rubbing her friend’s shoulder. “We’ll help… as long as it’s not illegal.”

“I don’t know! That’s what’s so frustrating. I can’t invent a miracle cure for the common cold or flu or whatever Sterling’s got. So their plans are done. Like done-done. And that means their first New Year’s together won’t be perfect, not even close.”

“I love those two,” Ezequiel said before continuing with a derisive snort, “but they have to let go of this stupid obsession with perfection. They’re putting so much pressure on themselves for no reason what-so-ever. Don’t they know by now that as long as they’re doing it together, it will be perfect?”

“Oh!” Blair sat up straight. “Maybe that’s it.”

“What?” the Holy Duo said as one, looking at each other, both shrugging as they waited for Blair to explain.

“They can’t be together, because there’s enough germs surrounding Sterling to have her classified as a bioweapon, and April won’t risk getting sick, but maybe we can create something for them to share, as a couple, but separately.”

“Like, I dunno, they were going out for dinner, right? Maybe we can bring them take-out at the same time, so they can share the meal and feel like a couple for a little bit at least. It’s not the epic, romantic date they had planned, but it’s gotta beat sitting all by themselves in separate houses.”

“You big softie, you,” Hannah beamed. “That’s such a sweet idea. We must make this happen.”

* * *

Debbie was busy de-pitting some olives that she would later smush into a paste together with various other things that the recipe website swore would make for a delicious _tapenade_ , whatever that was, when Blair showed up out of nowhere, apparently ready to head on out despite it being before noon. 

“Hey, mom, I don’t know if you were going to make some chicken soup or something for Sterling for dinner, but whatever you were planning, you don’t have to. I got this.”

“Really?” Debbie eyed her daughter, searching for signs of mischief or other, even more fearsome, intentions. “Sterling’s not well, so I thought I’d just make her some comfort food instead of—” she gestured at the spread of delicacies in front of her.

“Really, mom. I got this. _We_ got this. I’m meeting Ezequiel and Hannah in half an hour. We want to do something nice for Sterling and April since their plans went up in smoke.”

“Really?”

“Yes, ma’am. Deadly serious,” Blair said, putting on her most sincere world’s-best-sister face.

Debbie nodded, relieved that she could tick that off the very long list of things she had to get done before the stroke of midnight. “Well, thank you then. I trust you to do something nice for your sister and her girlfriend tonight.”

“We’ll try our best, I promise,” Blair assured her mom before leaving the house.

Debbie barely had a chance to return her attention to prepping the finger food when her phone rang, April calling her for some reason.

“Hi sweetie, is everything okay?”

“Sterling’s not picking up. Is _she_ okay?”

“She’s probably still asleep. Last night was rough.” Debbie realized she should be more careful about picking her words when she heard April’s sharp inhale. “Don’t worry, sweetie. She just had trouble getting comfortable enough to rest, what with the coughing and texting you every 30 seconds.”

“Did she follow the regiment I outlined? She needs to make sure she takes the medicines in the right order and that she doesn’t skip any of them. I took great care to ensure that none of them had a disagreeable taste.”

“April, calm down. Sterling is going to be _just fine_. We appreciate all you’ve done and that you’re concerned, but what she needs more than anything right now is rest.”

You could practically hear April’s shoulders slump over the phone line. “I apologize, Debbie. It’s so hard being unable to do anything from a distance. If I could just be there for her.” April paused and Debbie suspected she knew what was coming. “I should be there for her.”

“April…”

“I’m sorry, Debbie, but I really think this is the right thing—the only thing—for me to do.”

“You should’ve let me finish, sweetie. If you think this is the right thing—and remember, it’s only been a couple of days, Sterling might still be contagious.”

“I’ve been loading up on vitamin C and B-12 and a bunch of other stuff to supercharge my immune system. I’m coming over.”

"Well then this is a good thing, because your mama told me you're going to be alone on New Year’s Eve and we can't have that, so just pack a bag as well and you can stay with us... I"ll make sure the guest room is all set up for you"

“I—thank you, Debbie, I appreciate it.”

“And I know Sterling will appreciate you being here. She certainly seems a lot calmer with you around, and we would all appreciate that.”

“Especially Blair.”

Debbie laughed. “Yes, especially Blair. Lord knows she loves you both, but she needs her space.”

“I could be there by—” April considered the time “—actually, I should probably pick up some supplies and more medicine, just in case. Is it okay if I arrive by 3 o’clock?”

“Of course, sweetie. Should I tell Sterling to expect you?”

“Maybe let it be a surprise. One that might salvage New Year’s for the both of us.”

“I’m sure it will,” Debbie nodded to herself. “I know Sterling will be overjoyed.”

“And if we keep this surprise between us, you won’t have to listen to her count the minutes left ‘til 3PM,” April chuckled and felt only a little bit bad at poking fun at her ridiculous girlfriend.

* * *

Miserable was an understatement to describe how Sterling was feeling. 

No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to find a way to be comfortable. One minute, she was hot and kicking her comforter off of her body. Before she had a chance to process how hot her room had suddenly become, she started to shiver and felt a chill run through her entire body. She released an annoyed sigh and quickly scrambled to bring her comforter up over her body again. 

The quick movement was a mistake though. Her head started to spin and she white dots formed clouded her line of vision. She closed her eyes and slowly lowered herself back down into her mountain of pillows. This was not how she wanted to spend New Year’s Eve. Her body hurt, her head was pounding, and she was on the verge of tears. All she wanted to do was feel better. 

Actually, all she wanted was to be with April. 

She exhaled heavily and slowly turned onto her side cuddling her Baby Yoda squish pillow against her chest. If she couldn’t hold April into the new year, the least she could do was hold something that was symbolic of her. She whimpered silently praying the thumping over her right eye would subside. Sterling hoped the medicine she’d taken a few moments prior would kick in and she could finally get some rest. 

Sterling tucked Baby Yoda impossibly closer to her chest. Her eyelids grew heavy and she allowed them to close. Her mind settled on thoughts of April. Her beautiful face and soft smile played in her mind like a calming movie… 

* * *

Sterling wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep. 

The thumping in her head had stopped and she was thankful for that. But something felt different. Baby Yoda wasn’t as squishy as she remembered. The soft plush against her cheek seemed to be replaced with something else. She furrowed her brow confused with the change from plush to what only could be described as t-shirt material. 

As her eyes slowly opened, she focused on the blurry image of what seemed to be her girlfriend. April was scrolling through her phone absentmindedly twirling her hair between her fingers. Sterling cheek was half pressed against her shoulder and she prayed that in her sickness induced sleep she didn’t accidentally drool on her. 

“Am I dreaming?” Sterling questioned, her voice thick with sleep. 

April glanced downward; a half smiled pulled onto the corner of her mouth. “Am I wearing a loose tank top and nothing else?” 

Sterling gave her a sleepy smile as she studied her girlfriend’s attire. Her gaze moved slowly before meeting April’s eyes again. “No.” 

“Then it’s not a dream,” April stated, tilting her head downward to place a small kiss on Sterling’s forehead. “Wow, you’re not as hot as you were when I first got here.” 

“Wow,” Sterling breathed, mocking offense. “I’m sick, you know? You should cut me some slack.” 

April snorted a laugh and lightly nudged her. “Good to see your sense of humor is still intact.” 

“How long have you been here?” Sterling asked, shifting closer to April’s side. 

“A couple of hours.” April wrapped her arm around her girlfriend’s shoulders pulling her in closer. She tilted her head to the left resting her cheek against Sterling’s head. “You were sound asleep when I got here. I didn’t have the heart to wake you.” She turned slightly, placing another kiss against Sterling’s forehead. “You looked so cute cuddling with Baby Yoda.” 

Sterling huffed as she rested her hand on April’s stomach. “I’m so glad you’re here.” 

“There’s no place I’d rather be.” April gently traced her fingertips along Sterling’s arm. 

Sterling leaned back eyeing her curiously. “What happened to Miss. I Can’t Get Sick?” she questioned, referring to her girlfriend’s claim from long ago. 

April half shrugged as she turned to meet Sterling’s eyes. “Some things are worth the sacrifice.” 

“I want to kiss you so bad…” 

“Then kiss me.” 

“You’re going to get sick.” 

April cupped Sterling’s chin with her free hand. “What did I just say?” A slow smile formed on her lips as she tipped her head down to meet Sterling halfway. They shared a soft, lingering kiss before she unhurriedly broke away and looked into Sterling’s blue eyes once again. “Besides, I took a whole bunch of precautionary meds before I got here.” 

“Makes sense,” Sterling chuckled as she settled against April again. She could honestly say this was the most comfortable she’d been in days. “I hate that we had to give up our plans because of some stupid cold.” 

“It’s okay.” April rubbed her upper arm comfortingly. “We’re together.” 

“Yeah, but I was sleeping when you arrived and that’s more missed time,” Sterling whined as she gripped the material covering April’s abdomen. “And I don’t even know how long I have you for.” 

“All night.” April turned slightly meeting Sterling’s questioning stare. “Debbie found out my mom is out of town, so she offered me the guest room.” She flashed a toothy grin. “At least it’s something… and we can watch it turn midnight all around the world.” She lightly tapped Sterling’s cheek with a soft smile. “Just think of how many celebratory kisses we’ll be able to share.” 

Sterling gripped tighter as an excited expression crossed her sick face. “Hey, do you think we can use the guilt of me being sick to sway her into letting you stay up here with me?” She shook April from side to side hopefully. 

April chuckled quietly as she brushed Sterling’s hair away from her face. “I doubt it.” 

“Doesn’t hurt to try.” 

“Well, good luck because I’m not playing that card.” When Sterling huffed, April pouted playfully apologetic. She gently held Sterling’s chin as she lightly brushed the pad of her thumb against. “Guess we’re just going to have to make the most of the time that we have.” 

“Even with me being sick?” 

“Mmhmm.” 

Sterling inched closer bringing her lips close to April’s. She attempted a sexy little smirk, but her efforts were thwarted when a sudden tickle invaded her nose. She had never been more grateful to follow her own instincts as she quickly turned away from April and released an extremely large sneeze. Her girlfriend startled beside her before quickly resting her hand on Sterling’s shoulder. 

“Aw, honey,” April cooed, rubbing small circles against her shoulder blades. “Maybe we should hold off on any more excitement before midnight.” She shifted her ministrations moving toward the center of Sterling’s back. “What have you taken today?” 

Sterling blew her nose and quietly apologized to April for the sound she made. Her girlfriend waved her off and leaned forward to place a small kiss to her shoulder. Sterling flashed a small smile as she tossed her tissue into the already overflowing basket near her bed. As she shifted to fully face April once again, Blair unceremoniously walked into her room. 

“Okay, Sterl, let’s get you cleaned up,” she announced, completely unaware of April’s presence as she made her way toward Sterling’s dresser. She placed the tray she was carrying down and clapped her hands satisfied with its placement. “Because I have a surprise for-“ She turned to look at her twin and her words caught in her throat. “Stevens? What the hell are you doing here?” 

“Blair, rude!” Sterling scolded. 

“Nice to see you too, Demon,” April shot back, rolling her eyes. 

“No, no, that’s not-“ Blair closed her eyes and released a frustrated groan. She held her hands out to emphasize her words. “You’re supposed to be at home.” 

April knitted her brow confused by the exchange. “Well… I’m not.” 

“Yeah, I can see that-“ The sound of Blair’s obnoxious ringtone cut her off and she pulled her phone from her back pocket. She quickly slid her thumb across the screen opting to put the call on speaker phone. “Hey, Hannah.” 

April looked taken aback as she exchanged a look with Sterling. 

“Hey! Sooo… We’re at April’s and all the lights are out and she’s not answering the door—“ Hannah paused suddenly and took in a sharp breath. “Do you think something happened? Should I call 911?” 

“Oh my God, Han! Just call her!” Ezequiel’s voice echoed in the background. 

“Relax. She’s already here,” Blair stated, giving April a neutral stare. She ducked her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Listen, just come over so we can at least set this up.” She raised her head to meet April’s confused expression. “And since my monster-in-law is already here, she can help now too.” 

“Okay, see you soon.” 

Blair ended the call and slid her phone into her back pocket. She clapped her hands loudly. “Okay, Sterl, shower.” She thrust her thumb over her shoulder. “You need to try and look somewhat human.” 

“What is going on?” Sterling asked, pulling her comforter away from her body. 

April quickly reached out to help her tucking the comforter across the end of the bed. “I’d like to know as well.” 

The brunette sighed as she walked over to the bed. "We got you some fancy food because we wanted to make sure you had at least one shared moment tonight.” She wiggled her fingers beckoning for Sterling to take her hands. “Z brought the stuff April asked him to pick up to make your night at her place special and he’s bringing it over here.” She pulled Sterling up from the mattress and ushered her forward. She glanced over at April. “And since you’re here, you can help us get everything set up since I’m pretty sure there is a certain way you wanted everything done.” She shoved Sterling toward the bathroom. “But first things first, we need to clean up the baby.” 

April placed her hand on her chest as she watched Blair maneuver Sterling toward the bathroom. “Aww, you do have a heart.” 

Blair quickly shot her a glare. She moved her hand from Sterling’s back and raised her middle finger. She wrinkled her nose at April’s faux offended sound and flashed a sarcastic smile. “Go downstairs,” she ordered as she continued her mission to get Sterling cleaned up. 

April chuckled and saluted mockingly. “As you wish, demon.” 

* * *

A soft knock on the doorframe preceded Anderson’s smiling face. “Is everything okay up here? 

Lifting her head from Sterling’s shoulder and nodding happily, April gently brushed the hair out of her girlfriend’s eyes before motioning to Anderson to speak softly. “Sterling fell asleep. She must be exhausted.”

“Maybe you could join us downstairs for some food? Debbie made these fancy hors d'oeuvres that I don’t have the heart to tell her do not really agree with my unsophisticated palate.”

“Thank you for offering, but I’m going to stay here.” April snuggled closer without meaning to, as if wanting to reassure her girlfriend that she would remain right here, no matter what. “I don’t want Sterling to wake up all alone.”

“Okay, but If you need anything, we’re just downstairs,” Anderson said, before closing the door behind him, leaving April alone with Sterling, in her bed.

* * *

Walking back into the kitchen, Anderson took the canapé offered by Debbie and flashed her a smile. The grey-green muck spread across the bread was, he had surmised, made of olives and something else that made it entirely too salty for his tastes. It sure was a taste explosion of sorts, but not one he enjoyed. “Sterling’s asleep, has been for a bit, apparently. April’s fussing over her like a concerned mama bird. Or maybe just a girl in love taking care of her girlfriend. They were both in bed, snuggling under the covers. It was very sweet.”

“Anderson! That’s so… I don’t know what to say.”

“Yes, you do, but I think it’s high time we move past reflexive reactions.”

“They’re up there alone, in bed, and you say—”

“In fact, I didn’t say anything. I didn’t tell April to keep her hands above the covers, or anything like that. If you want to go up there and tell our daughter, spending the first New Year's Eve with the girl she loves, that they need to leave room for Jesus, when she’s spent the last three days sick and worried, almost heartbroken that she wouldn’t get a kiss at the stroke of midnight...”

“They might—”

“Yes,” Anderson nodded, "I agree, they might. I'd be surprised if they haven't already. Where there used to be a purity ring there's now a promise ring that our daughter put there, in case you missed it.”

Debbie glared at her husband. “None of us will ever forget that.”

“They’re together, a couple for over six months and in love for longer than that, and Lord knows for how long that love between them existed before they embraced it. I thank the Lord every day for Sterling…” He trailed off, knowing his wife felt the same way. 

Anderson truly didn’t know what he would’ve done if the outcome of that fateful night had been different. The worst case scenario was too horrible to even contemplate, so he didn’t, but even the events as they played out could’ve led to so many outcomes that weren’t this. Sterling was here, living with them, happy and still—always—their daughter and Blair’s twin.

Sterling told them that the past was behind them, that what happened happened and while she acknowledged that it had helped shape the young woman she became, she refused to allow it to define her, but Anderson felt certain that April had a lot to do with Sterling finding herself at peace again.

“And if the worst thing we have to worry about is her expressing the love she has for April physically, then, well… I think that’s not much of a worry at all, in comparison.” He moved closer to his wife, sensing the struggle she was going through. “Debbie, they’re both good kids. So kind and considerate, taking great care to do the right things, both for themselves and others. If they _are_ , you know it’s not something they did without taking in the repercussions.”

Debbie scoffed. “I remember what it was like being a teenager. Your brain marinating in hormones. Bad decisions were a dime a dozen.”

“Nowadays you only get one or two for a dime.” He chuckled when Debbie shot daggers at him. “I’m just saying that was then, this is now, and this is Sterling and April. Have you ever seen April make a rash decision without considering things that nobody else would ever think to bring into it?”

When Debbie shook her head before letting out an exasperated sigh, he took her hands and pulled Debbie into a comforting embrace. “I know it’s hard. There’s so much you wish you could shield your children from, but sex will happen, regardless of what we say. And in the end, I’d much rather Sterling and Blair know that it’s okay, that they can come to us if they need advice or help or comfort or whatever. Providing them with a safe, healthy environment is much better than trying to instill the fear of God.”

“I know.”

“I know you know, and I know you’re trying. It’s hard, everything is hard, nothing is really easy. But loving and supporting your children should be, and so that’s what we’re doing.”

* * *

Maybe it was the sound of the door closing that roused Sterling from her slumber, because this time April was certain she had nothing to do with it; she was content just watching Sterling sleep, resting beside her.

"Did I miss it? What time is it? I missed it, didn't I? I'm sorry, babe, I didn't mean to fall asleep," Sterling groaned, covering her face with her hands and shaking her head in frustration.

"Shh, you didn't miss anything. We still have nearly an hour to go." April reached up and gently pulled Sterling’s hands away from her face. “It did turn 2021 in, um, Caracas so I do owe you a kiss.”

The soft kiss April placed on her lips did little to still Sterling’s anxiety, feeling mortified as she did about ruining their New Year’s Eve so thoroughly. "I'm so sorry, this is not how I imagined New Year's."

"You weren't planning on spending it with me?"

Sterling jammed her shoulder against April's chest. "That's not what I meant. We were going to have a wonderful time, and then we were going to go back to your house—which we would have to ourselves—and we were going to..."

"I know, honey, it would've been wonderful—in a different way, because this day has still been wonderful. It’s been memorable in unexpected ways."

“Blair being a softie definitely was unexpected,” Sterling said with a laugh.

April nodded in agreement. “The demon must’ve accepted whatever sacrifice we made to keep it happy.”

“You know Blair—”

“I know, honey, but it was a surprise, the best kind of surprise. It was so thoughtful of them,” April smiled, thinking about Blair and her friends working together to make their New Year’s Eve special despite everything. She faced Sterling and her smile grew wider. “We’re blessed, in every way.”

The way April smiled at her helped, and today had been magical in some ways, not just Blair coming through like she did, but also the myriad of small ways April took extra care to make Sterling comfortable and at ease. Her girlfriend was a blessing, in so many ways. One in particular that Sterling didn’t feel comfortable admitting to while in her room, parents around, under Debbie’s watchful eyes, with the door… closed?

“Did you close the door, babe?”

“No, Anderson did when he checked up on us.”

“Dad… _closed_ the door?”

“I think he’s trying to be the cool, supportive dad who trusts his daughter.”

“He really shouldn’t,” Sterling grinned and stuck her tongue out. “The things we do behind closed doors.”

“Locked doors,” April corrected. “But, I think a locked door would definitely be testing your dad’s limits of coolness.”

“He’s never been cool.”

“Maybe not, but he’s a great dad. He cares about you and trusts you, despite all evidence pointing towards you being a horny mess that absolutely should not be trusted.”

“Hey…” Sterling’s objection was weak, a formality in the face of self-evident truth.

“Tell me I’m wrong, Sterl,” April said, the teasing half-smirk making its first appearance of the day. “I’m not even going to suggest debating it, because there’s only one side, and it’s affirmative.”

“You’re not wrong.” Sterling pouted, the sole defence she could offer up against her girlfriend’s smirk. “But you’re mean pointing it out when our plans got cancelled and we’re stuck here.”

“In bed. Together. With the door closed. I can think of worse things.” To prove her point, April ran her hand from where it was resting comfortably against Sterling’s stomach all the way across her chest, taking great care to stop for a second to feel Sterling’s heartbeat, and up along her throat until April could hold Sterling’s chin and turn her head enough to the side that she couldn’t resist kissing her neck. Repeatedly.

“Don’t,” Sterling whined. “Not unless you’re willing to risk everything.”

“For you, I’m willing to do anything and everything,” April answered between kisses. 

“Hey! That’s my line. You’re stealing my line.” The way Sterling’s abrupt laughter bubbled through her and reverberated across April’s still attached lips to fill her with joy. “Maybe not my exact line, but close enough that I should be getting royalty checks.”

“I mean it,” April rubbed the tip of her nose along Sterling’s neck. “And I can think of a couple of ways to make up for doing an unauthorized cover version.”

“If you’re willing to make the sacrifice in order to grant a dying girl her last wish…”

“You’re not dying, honey,” April said softly, resting her head on Sterling’s shoulder, kissing whatever was within reach of her lips. “You’re sick, which is not your fault, and besides, this is not a bad way to spend New Year’s Eve.” 

“No, it’s not,” Sterling agreed, closing her eyes. “I guess opening Blair’s gift and finding out for sure what we already suspected was in the box was actually in the box made my mind board the express train going down that one very particular track.”

“You _opened_ it?” April sat up, abruptly, staring at her girlfriend. 

“I wasn’t planning to, I _had_ to,” Sterling explained, taken aback by the intensity of April’s reaction. “Mom caught me trying to sneak back upstairs Christmas morning. The only reason I got away with it was Blair’s gift. I could use it as an alibi, but that meant changing the contents to something… less inappropriate.“ 

“W-why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Sterling blushed. “I felt bad. I know we agreed to leave it hidden, but I-I have to admit I was curious what you’d think. It might’ve been, uh, kinda sexy unwrapping it together and discovering things that… held some appeal.”

“Did it?”

Sterling just nodded. When April stayed silent, she gathered enough courage to go on. “Uh, I-I don’t want you to think that you, and, uh, what we do isn’t enough. It is! It’s more than I could’ve dreamed of. And we already talked about it, and you were right then, we don’t need to spice things up. Things are spicy enough as it is. Your research paid off. It’s like ghost pepper hot.”

April blushed despite feeling both flattered and proud that Sterling felt this way. "Honey, enough with the hyperbole... we're still stuck dicing Jalapenos."

"But,” Sterling tried to push down the images that had been occupying her for the last week, and the new ones brought forth by knowing that April thought they still had much to explore, “there were some things in there that..." There were _definitely_ things that set Sterling’s mind on fire when she thought about April and what it would be like to be on the receiving end of her attention if and when she agreed to explore the contents of Blair’s box.

"Things? Multiple?”

“Blair doesn’t give bad gifts, just very, very inappropriate ones,” Sterling pointed out. “I guess you could call it a… starter kit? There’s a little bit of everything. I’m not even sure what half of it is for.” She sure had fun trying to imagine it though.

“Your sister does know you very well, and by extension, I guess that means she knows us too.” April shivered, not really happy to consider what Blair knew or thought she knew. “I don’t think I’ll ever be fully comfortable with how you share everything, but I’m working on it. If she’s going to continue being inappropriate, she might as well put her money towards something useful.”

“She did, I think. Why don’t you see for yourself. It’s at the back of the closet.”

April nodded and left Sterling alone in the bed for just a moment. She opened the closet and immediately spotted the box. Once tonight was over, she'd have to talk to Sterling about what ‘hiding’ actually entailed.

She scanned the things visible through the packaging. Not knowing exactly what got Sterling excited, she still couldn’t wait to find out; there were certainly things here that she found enticing, and similarly she couldn’t wait to find out how Sterling would respond when she eventually brought them into bed with them. 

There was even a yellow Post-It in Blair’s handwriting stuck to the box, apologizing for the inappropriate items inside. Not that Blair was suddenly self-aware, she was talking about the one or two things intended for the male partner. April scrunched her face in disgust. 2020 and still assumptions were made.

April turned around, closing the closet door behind her. When she saw Sterling's face fall, she wasted no time climbing back into bed and pulling the covers back over them.

"So, uh, I guess you didn't like Blair's gift." Sterling chewed her lips, adorably. April didn't intend to be mean, but Sterling twitching, all nervous, kinda did things to her, probably in the same way that Sterling responded to seeing April being bossy. "At least not like I did. I'm sorry, I really didn—"

The kiss the shut Sterling up was hungry, demanding. It was very much like the kiss that had started their... tryst in the guest room a week ago. April took Sterling's lower lip between her teeth and gave it a little nibble, just roughly enough to elicit the cutest little whimper from Sterling. "Too much talking, not enough kissing, wasn't that what you said?"

"Close enough."

"If only you let me talk, I could've told you that Blair's gift does indeed hold promise."

"Really? Why didn't you?"

April lowered her eyes and let her gaze do the talking. Only once she saw Sterling's delighted shudder, did she speak again. "You already knew that, Sterl. Never really any doubt. I don't know exactly what your initial selection would be, but I can't wait to find out."

"I, uh," Sterling's brain refused to cooperate any further, because in truth, there wasn't anything she was unwilling to try out and experience, as long as it was with April.

"We'll find out together. We'll explore and experiment, together. Just like we'll do everything else."

"Uh huh," Sterling nodded.

"But there's a time and place, and I don't think now and here is the time to be... adventurous. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Absolutely," Sterling nodded again. "Here and now, we should be careful and quiet."

April smirked, Sterling's meaning absolutely clear to her. "Last time I didn't get to see your beautiful face. Tonight I definitely want that. I want to see your response and how your face becomes a mirror of the pleasure I bring to you."

"Pleasure huh?" Sterling chuckled, before April's predatory grin made her swallow that chuckle. "Pleasure is good. I like pleasure."

"Are you certain? There are other ways to make you feel good... in the end."

"Your research is starting to scare me. I need to see some primary sources."

"Scare, or excite you?" April hadn't stopped grinning. "I'm sure we'll find out one of these days."

"Uh, if you say so. I trust you."

April's grin vanished and she leaned in to kiss Sterling so achingly soft it almost scared Sterling more than any thoughts of what April might bring when she wasn't focused on driving her girlfriend crazy with pleasure. "Have I said just how much I love you tonight, honey?"

Sterling shook her head and kissed April back, trying to convey the same emotion she found against her lips just moments ago. She might worry that she couldn't possibly live up to what April saw when she looked at her, but she wouldn't let that stop her from trying, no matter how scary it felt and how naked she felt when faced with the bottomless well that April's love represented. Sterling could lose herself there and she'd be happier than ever before. It was both scary and exciting. Just like everything about April.

"Because I do. Love you very, very much."

Sterling nodded. "Ditto, babe."

"Ditto? Oh, you're going to pay for that."

This time it was Sterling who grinned. "I'm going to enjoy every second of my punishment."

"Of that there is no doubt," April said, cuddling closer to Sterling, her hands starting to roam across her girlfriend's soft body, caring little about the pajamas that should keep April's touch from setting Sterling on fire, but such details were soon forgotten, when what might've been soft caresses once upon a time, became rough and controlling, pressing Sterling down against the bed and sending shockwaves through her body.

"Shh, I don't want to have to cover your mouth again."

Sterling opened her eyes briefly to meet April's. "You could do that."

April smiled and nodded. "Maybe when you're not all congested and struggling to catch your breath. I don't want to choke you on accident."

"Is, is there any other possibility?" Sterling was struggling to keep up. April's hand was manipulating her in a way—a new, exciting way—that was definitely doing things to her, unexpected things that she didn't really understand. April being bossy and in control was one thing, this was... more. What had come before was more in her head, the gently demanding way April controlled her with suggestive touches and words, leading her to a warm place where she willingly surrendered.

There was nothing gentle about the way April was demanding her to respond to her touches right now. And nothing gentle about the touches either. If April wasn't pressing her against the bed, firmly, she was... pawing was too crude a description, because what April was doing was very intentional, her hand pressing, poking and prodding, mapping out places on Sterling's upper body where the buttons needed to be pressed harder, with more force to provoke the desired response.

But when they were found, when April saw Sterling tense and gasp, there was no point in trying to hide just how well this was working, just how turned on Sterling was becoming. Any thoughts of colds and flus were gone, replaced with glowing spots across her body where April had managed to touch something she didn't realize she had within her. When April let her hand travel up Sterling's chest and instead of softly brushing or tenderly caressing, took a handful of sensitive flesh and squeezed it just right, just a bit more than expected, Sterling let out a long, appreciative moan. "Fuck, April, this is... this is so good, you're driving me crazy."

"Shh, behave, Sterl, or I’ll stop. Tonight that's not an empty threat. That door could open any second if you give anybody reason to, and I _will_ stop before you do."

"I'll be good. Pinkie swear?" Sterling chuckled between gulping breaths, trying to convince herself as much as April.

"Let's find out," April suggested, and released her grip, running her hand quickly down the length of Sterling's body, never stopping and never hesitating until it cupped a very different part of Sterling, and started moving roughly against the fabric still separating skin from skin.

Sterling bit her lip so hard she thought she could taste blood, but she didn't make a noise, the only indication of how badly she craved April's touch being the way her hips rose off the bed when April let off and her hand lifted a fraction of an inch away from Sterling.

April just smiled and nodded, her hand lifting again, but before Sterling could miss her girlfriend's touch, it returned, but this time there was definite skin-on-skin, soft fingertips tracing the outline of Sterling's sex before softness was replaced by firmness again and Sterling felt April's fingers exploring and teasing her in the most delicious ways until they started slowly filling her and making her teeter on the edge.

Sterling tried suppressing a whine when April withdrew before she could get her release, but she failed miserably, and when she heard April chuckle, she whined even more.

“Tsk tsk. Did you forget this is your punishment?”

“You said I’d enjoy it,” Sterling snorted, trying to calm herself down.

“No, you said that. I only didn’t disagree. But I didn’t say your gratification would be immediate.”

“Technicalities and double negatives. Not really winning debate strategies.”

April let out a soft laugh. “I never knew debate victories were measured in orgasms.”

“The more the better, I say.”

“The bigger the better, I say. Shall we find out which one of us is right?”

“Huh?” Sterling couldn’t begin to formulate a counter argument before April’s fingers returned, and pushed her to the brink again almost immediately. But once again, Sterling was denied. She didn’t bother complaining because it was obvious April had no intention taking mercy on her. Her girlfriend was determined to win the argument and had no compunction about being mean in the process. When the fingers returned, even more insistent this time around, and the third and fourth swell were quelled just as ruthlessly, Sterling began to feel herself slipping away. She wasn’t warm and comfortable, and nobody would ever mistake this for bliss, but the way April was manipulating her responses and denying her release was undoubtedly doing _something_ to her.

Sterling tried to focus on the rising swells, noticing how they grew bigger and more potent every time April pulled back and then restarted the cycle. Soon she was lost in a turbulent, endless ocean of building pleasure and she lost the capability to complain. She knew in her heart, her mind, in her pinky toe that once April allowed it, she would be nothing but pleasure.

April’s voice came from the edge of her senses. “You’re doing so well, darling. We’re nearly there. It’s almost time for your good behavior to be rewarded. Just hold out for a little while longer.”

She nodded, not trusting herself not to scream if she opened her mouth. 

“It’s nearly midnight, Sterl. Not even a minute to go,” April’s voice tingled inside Sterling’s mind and she felt her girlfriend increasing her ministrations. This time she wasn’t going to stop. “So close. You’re so close. I can feel it. So close to getting what you want. Just one last push, just… 10 seconds to go. The ball is going to drop and you can come. 5… 4… 3… 2… 1.”

April ended the countdown by kissing Sterling deeply, being rewarded with getting to see her gorgeous, ridiculous, sexy girlfriend lose all control as the biggest orgasm she’d ever experienced coursed through her, a never ending wave of pleasure that left her limbless and beyond sated. She brushed the hair from Sterling’s face and kissed her softly. “Happy New Year, honey.”


End file.
